Random number generation is used in a wide variety of applications. Various techniques for random number generation are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0097153, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a pseudorandom number generator that includes a first elemental shift register having a non-linear feedback feature, a second elemental shift register and combiner for combining signals at an output of the first elemental shift register and the second elemental shift register to obtain a combined signal representing a pseudorandom number.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,363, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a pseudorandom number generator that includes a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) having a state contained in N storage elements storing N bits of binary data which are separated into w words having word length M. At least two tap sources provide binary data, each tap source having a number of bits that is a multiple of M. The LFSR also includes a linear feedback function coupled to tap sources and providing a temporary value that is a linear function, such as bit-wise exclusive-or, of the binary data provided from the tap sources. The LFSR state is advanced by shifting the binary data in the storage elements by a multiple of M bits and provide the temporary value to fill in storage elements that would otherwise be empty from the shifting.
Additional random number generation schemes are described in Japanese Patent JP2567681B2, and in German Patent Application DE19921852A1, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.